Happy 2010!

It is the final count-down to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa with the opening of Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The Keiskamma Art Project has unveiled its new Artwork ‘Children playing games’ part of the decoration of this new stadium.

More information on Durban Municipality's website: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/museums/dag/mm

Special thanks to the Keiskamma Art Project team who contributed to the success of this new endeavour. We also thank Carol Brown for her help, as well as Robert Hofmeyr and Ardwork Eddie Jange for their expertise.

Hand-dyed and hand-made felt:
Nontozamo Gxamza, Buyiswa Beja, Ncameka Gedze, Nozolile Gedze, Nomgcobo Nompunga, Nokulunga Tupeni, Noluvuyo Damoyi

Cut work:
Novuyani Peyi

Embroidery:
Bandlakazi Nyongo, Nofumene Tobi, Nokutula Mvapantzi, Nomantombazana Joe, Nompumezo Peyi, Nokuzola Mvapantzi, Nolungile Ndonga, Nondumizo Solo, Nozibele Nxadi, Ntombizakhe Sikani, Tabisa Nxadi, Tandiswa Nxadi, Thembeka Makubalo, Thembisa Gusha, Vulelwa Dyido

Wire and beadwork:
Ayanda Gcezengana, Cebo Mvubu, Lindiswa Gedze, Msindisi Mva, Noluthando Ngqula, Nombuyiselo Malumbezo, Patiswa Ngcayi, Siziwe Mva, Thobisa Nkani
Wire and beadwork was supervised by Ardwork Eddie Jange

Photographs:
Robert Hofmeyr

Frames:
Ayanda Gcezengana

Original concept:
Robert Hofmeyr

Coordination and creative supervision:
Carol Hofmeyr, Florence Danais

Production Management:
Novuyani Peyi, Veronica Betani, with the help of Nomfusi Nkani

Art – Exhibition opening at Kalk Bay Modern

On Wednesday 9th of December was the opening of the sumptuous new exhibtion at Kalk Bay Mondern (Cape Town area) featuring the Keiskamma Art Project. Entitled 3000 hours, the name refers to the approximate number of hours it took to make the work on display. For this exquisite exhibition, the Art Project is presenting a limited edition of its o wn interpr etation of Paul Klee’ s artworks.

Address: Kalk Bay Modern Gallery – 1st Floor Olympia Buildings – 136 Main Road – Kalk Bay.

Capoeira and education, by Kat Carpenter: The experience of a volunteer at the Keiskamma Trust

During September to December 2009, Kat Carpenter, a member of Aboliçao Oxford Capoeira went to Hamburg to work with the Keiskamma Trust and spend time with the capoeira group there.

Msindisi Mva, the groups teacher had recently returned from Cape Town. Kat and Msindisi worked together to get classes re-structured.

Classes were set up at the primary school on 3 afternoons a week, and 3 morning classes were set up for adult beginners, the regular 4:30pm to 6pm training continued daily. The primary school classes are going really well, parents are happy that their children can train after school so they do not arrive home too late. The morning classes are a good opportunity for people with less confidence around the agile young people to learn the basic moves of capoeira.

Kat also worked with Keiskamma trust looking at child development, providing training to local health and education workers and setting up resources and an assessment kit, also assisting in the set-up of a play room. It was a challenge to split time between the two areas of work!

From the 4th to the 9th of December, Elton Jones another member of Aboliçao Oxford, joined the group for a few days just in time for the end of year party, which the group funded themselves with money they earnt at a performance earlier in the year.

To get the group thinking about the positive benefits of capoeira a small art workshop was carried out at the party. Each member was asked what do you enjoy about capoeira, how does it affect your life, what opportunities does it give you, how does it make you feel, thinking about life before you started capoeira and now, how is it different? The group worked in 2’s and 3’s to write down 3 things, everyone present took part. They then enjoyed putting hand prints in a circle on a piece of cloth to represent a roda. Phrases such as “protection, makes me feel at home, education, energy, inspiration, helps me to do the right things, strength, love, communication” were gathered.

All the words and phrases were written in the middle of the ‘roda’ . It now hangs in the capoeira training hall. The group to get this image printed onto T-shirts, along with their own Abolicao Hamburg logo which is currently being designed. The aim would be for each member to have a T-shirt that belongs to the group and them to be able to sell these to members of Abolicao in Oxford and London and visitors to the Keiskamma Project as a business opportunity for the group as they are very keen to increase their independence financially.

A day of workshops was also held, taught by Elton, an angola workshop, samba, maculele, music and ending in a roda. The group really enjoyed the opportunity to learn new moves and spend the day enjoying all aspects of capoeira, they all worked hard and joined in well.
The group have all missed seeing contra-mestre Luis Negao this year so being able to do these workshops was a good end of year activity to bring the group together.

And lastly, along with the Keiskamma Art Project, a small group went to visit a local Eco-community called Khuladhamma to do a performanace. They did a performance roda and ran a short workshop. The community are keen to get capoeira going so it is hoped more workshops an be arranged in the future which the hamburg group can run.

“ I am very sad to be leaving the group here, I really enjoyed the opportunity I have had to meet the group and get to know them and their day to day lifes. Training here is hard, to keep motivated every week when there is not often a Mestre or even Professor, but the group do it with energy and play very very good capoeira. I think I have learnt more from them than they learnt fom me! I’m happy to be leaving with some projects, ie. T-shirt making and links with the eco-community on the go as it gives good plans for the new year. I look forward to being able to visit the group again. I hope that people in the uk can see how hard to group are working to increase their indenpendence and if they can give anyhthing to help with setting up their plans, publicity costs and transport it would be such a help. Axe!”

Kat Carpenter, 11.12.2009

Art - Keiskamma Canada Foundation's Joyful Angels

Keiskamma Canada Foundation together with the Canadian choir ‘Joyful Noise Choir’ launched a campaign to support the Keiskamma Art Project. The challenge was for the about 30 children of the Canadian choir to pre-sell as many felt angels as they could for Christmas... and on the 14th of November, closing date of the campaign, they had sold 701 felt angels! The Keiskamma Art Project Doll Makers thank all the children of the choir, Rein for the coordination of the whole order and Keiskamma Canada Foundation for the great support that they brought with this idea of Joyful Angels and for linking our Project with the Choir.

On the photograph: The Keiskamma Art Project Doll Making Group

Art - Hamburg Artist Residency

On the 18th of November, we welcomed Miss Nomza Mazwai, the Project Officer of the Hamburg Artist Residency for Aspire. She came with her team, and she also invited the very well-known writer and story teller Mrs Gcina Mhlope, and the Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Chief Executive Officer Mrs Michelle Constant. The Keiskamma Art Project presented their studios, and also showed the other activities of the Keiskamma Trust in order to give to the guests a comprehensive approach of the Trust’s activities. The tour was punctuated with entertainments directly grown from the Trust: the Music Academy played recorder songs, the traditional dancers from the Education Departments welcomed the guests at the Heritage Site, and the capoeira group, who also performed at the Heritate Site, made a great impression. It was also an opportunity to share our visions, and to envisage the way that Aspire and Keiskamma Art Project could collaborate together for the establishment of the Artist Residency.

On the photograph: BASA CEO Michelle Constant and Keiskamma Artist Cebo Mvubu

Organic Gardening and Environmental Program

Keiskamma Organic Gardens run by Franck Danais and Princess Xhaka have started their training sessions. Four themes have been covered so long: ‘Organize your garden’, ‘Fencing and hedging’, ‘Methods of composting’, ‘How to prepare the soil’. Members of the community have shown great interest and have asked for a training session every second week. They enjoyed the projection of the Home, the movie (free of rights) by Yann Arthus Bertrand as a start for the Keiskamma environmental program.

More photographs on Facebook, on the Keiskamma Trust Fan Page.

Music Academy - Some of our highlights this year!

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Art - Embroidery Graduation

On the 20th of November, Keiskamma Friends UK, represented by Jan Chalmers and Jacky Jeselwski, organized a ceremony for the embroidery students who passed their certificates. Congratulations to Nolusindiso JAKAVULA, Nomgcobo NOMPUNGA, Thembeka MAKUBALO, Thembisa GUSHA, Ncameka GEDZE, Nozibele NXADI, Noluntu MAVELA and Bulelwa DYIDO.

Health - Umtha Welanga Step Down Unit

Keiskamma Trust has been working towards the establishment of a step-down unit at Nompumelelo Hospitstal in Peddie-Town for the past three years. Early in 2009, the hospital made a ward available to us for the step-down unit and for nearly a year, the Keiskamma Health team has been in negotiation with the HIV AIDS directorate of Eatern Cape Province and Nompumelelo Hospital, working on the details. This joint venture is set to open in January 2010. The services offered are essentially what Umtha Welanga has been running for the past five years out of Hamburg – extended care of patients who have been prematurely discharged from Hospital but need care, either because their families are unable to care for them at home, or they need more time for education on the treatment of chronic disease.

Art Exhibition - Not Alone in Cape Town, at the Slave Lodge and The Castle until the 31st of January 2010

The Keiskamma Altarpiece was opening at the Slave Lodge, an Iziko Museum in Cape Town, as part of the ongoing exhibition Not Alone, an International Project of Make Art/ Stop AIDS co-curated by Carol Brown and David Gere. Pieter-Dirk Uys Dirs was the guest speaker at the event that was attended by Dr Carol Baker-Hofmeyr, Annette Woudstra and for the very first time since the opening in 2005, all 3 grand-mothers represented on the third panel of the Altarpiece, Suzan Paliso, Caroline Tyibilika and Eunice Mangwane, were present with their grand-children. The evening was a great success, well-attended with the US Ambassador. The exhibition is on display until the 31st of January 2010.

Health - 2009 PATA Conference

For the fifth year in a row, Keiskamma Trust Health programme has been invited to attend the PATA AIDS Conference. PATA stands for Paediatric Aids Treatment for Africa and is a yearly forum which brings together top experts in the paediatric care field. This year’s conference was held in Johannesburg and included PATA clinics from across Sub-Sahara. The focus for this year’s forum was on adolescent care. This year’s Keiskamma Trust team was made of Dr Carol Baker-Hofmeyr, Annette Woudstra, Eunice Mangwane and Thobeka Bhekani. The PATA programme consists of cutting edge practices and academic research, and combines that with practical planning for each clinics health program for the following year. It was an incredible privilege to be amongst colleagues providing excellent paediatric care from across Africa and we went away with many new tools and ideas for our paediatric and adolescent care. Keiskamma Trust loomed large during all the PATA proceedings thanks to the large embroidered and appliquéd Africa maps that we donated to the PATA offices in Cape Town, as well as the 145 conference bags that PATA commissioned and purchased from us for each delegate. Many encouraging contacts were developed during the intensive 5-day workshop, including the cementing of our relationship between Kidzpositive, an NGO founded by Dr Paul Roux, Paediatrician at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, who is also on our board of Trustees; and Partners In Heath (PIH), plans are on the way for both projects for the next year.

On the photograph: Eunice Mangwane